The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, says Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements with South Africa over renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians are yielding positive results.
Agbese made this known on Monday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Asked whether Nigeria should have taken stricter measures in response to the attacks on its citizens in South Africa, Agbese said the government’s diplomatic approach was already producing results.
“No. I think so far, you know, the diplomatic engagements that we have activated are making a good impact,” he said.
He added that Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, was also engaging with the South African government on the matter.
“And today, to the glory of God, we now have a group of South African people running the Ubuntu movement. The Ubuntu movement is about peace in Africa. It is about love,” Agbese said.
The lawmaker noted that people migrate for various reasons and not necessarily because of economic hardship.
“Well, like I’ve mentioned earlier, it is actually a big issue for South Africa and a big issue for the countries whose nationals are finding solace in leaving their own countries for other countries,” he said while discussing the xenophobic attacks.
The renewed wave of xenophobic violence has reportedly forced more than 176,000 people to leave South Africa in recent weeks, according to an AFP tally based on figures provided by African countries that have repatriated their nationals.
South African police said at least four migrants had been killed in the violence, although some foreign governments have reported a higher death toll.
Ghana, which has strongly condemned the deadly attacks, has called for the African Union to debate the anti-migrant violence at its next summit early next year.
Nigeria, which has also had diplomatic disagreements with South Africa over recurring attacks on its citizens, has similarly pushed for the issue to be placed on the AU agenda.
Nigeria has so far evacuated 1,490 nationals from South Africa, while Ghana has repatriated at least 926 of its citizens.
